Ah, the good old days of Kazaa, Bear Share, LimeWire, and Morpheus. What do you guys think - did piracy permanently devalue the music industry as claimed? Or were the record companies just massively overcharging for music in the first place? Given that record companies have been stiffing artists since forever, what is the best way to support your favorite musicians today?
In the streaming age, the concept of music piracy seems eons behind us. Back in the early 2000s, however, pirates shook up the industry by stealing and illegally distributing MP3s, which listeners would otherwise have to pay for.
How Music Got Free takes viewers back to the ‘90s and early aughts, when the FBI launched a sprawling investigation into music piracy to identify – and convict – those stealing music. Even once the thieves were discovered, mass music piracy was blamed for permanently devaluing music.
Directed by Alexandria Stapleton, the two-part documentary premiered at SXSW earlier this year.
Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem. If a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24/7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate’s service is more valuable.
It was true then and it’s still true today. Services like Steam, Spotify, and Netflix are far more valuable to the consumer than physical distribution.
If you want to support your favorite artists, come out and see them on tour (at non-ticketmaster venues, preferably) and/or buy merch.
Unlike Spotify, if I download the music, I get to keep it. It doesn’t disappear from the streaming service because of licensing issues. Even if it disappears from Bandcamp itself, if I already have a local copy, I get to keep that local copy.
For 15 years the only way I could listen to 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul was to listen to the rip of a CD I made years earlier, because licensing kept it off of streaming services.
Spotify can and will remove music from their library. Bandcamp can’t remove my files from my PC and various backups. It’s the equivalent of having a physical copy, but in digital format and is transferable and able to be backed up.
Tbf, that’s not really Spotify’s fault. After operating costs and the cut to the various app stores they’re on, the larger record labels hoover up all of the profits. Spotify has actually operated at a loss the past few years.
To add on this, most musicians make little money off physical releases. If they’re an indie group/artist, they’re probably losing money in the hopes that they gain an audience. Shows usually pay artists (but trust me, not always), and merch always gives artists something to keep them going (unless they’re a victim of a 360 deal).
So true. Record labels seem to just want the ability to sell overpriced, shitty DRM locked licenses without any competition from piracy, because it shows just how exploitative their practices really are.
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⚓ Dedicated to the discussion of digital piracy, including ethical problems and legal advancements.
https://www.escapistmagazine.com/valves-gabe-newell-says-piracy-is-a-service-problem/
It was true then and it’s still true today. Services like Steam, Spotify, and Netflix are far more valuable to the consumer than physical distribution.
If you want to support your favorite artists, come out and see them on tour (at non-ticketmaster venues, preferably) and/or buy merch.
Some of us still prefer Bandcamp over Spotify since artists actually get paid worth a shit from it, but that’s just me.
Just buy merch
Unlike Spotify, if I download the music, I get to keep it. It doesn’t disappear from the streaming service because of licensing issues. Even if it disappears from Bandcamp itself, if I already have a local copy, I get to keep that local copy.
For 15 years the only way I could listen to 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul was to listen to the rip of a CD I made years earlier, because licensing kept it off of streaming services.
Spotify can and will remove music from their library. Bandcamp can’t remove my files from my PC and various backups. It’s the equivalent of having a physical copy, but in digital format and is transferable and able to be backed up.
Buy merch on Bandcamp, on a Bandcamp Friday. 100% of the money goes to the artist/label. They do these once a quarter or so IIRC.
There was just one on May 3rd. Upcoming ones are on September 6th, October 4th, and December 6th.
Tbf, that’s not really Spotify’s fault. After operating costs and the cut to the various app stores they’re on, the larger record labels hoover up all of the profits. Spotify has actually operated at a loss the past few years.
Video/TV streaming services seem to forget why they succeeded in the first place, with all the restrictions on family accounts, exclusivity deals etc.
To add on this, most musicians make little money off physical releases. If they’re an indie group/artist, they’re probably losing money in the hopes that they gain an audience. Shows usually pay artists (but trust me, not always), and merch always gives artists something to keep them going (unless they’re a victim of a 360 deal).
So true. Record labels seem to just want the ability to sell overpriced, shitty DRM locked licenses without any competition from piracy, because it shows just how exploitative their practices really are.